PAU Latin II (Balearic Islands / UIB) exam-day guide
PAU Latin II (Balearic Islands / UIB) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (DNI, passport, or NIE)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. The name must match the name on your registration. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted for your call and whether the document must be in date.
Exam venue, date, and time confirmed
Confirm the exact building, room, and start time with the provider (the university or the coordinating body that manages the PAU in the Balearic Islands). Arrival cut-off and access rules vary by venue, so confirm them in advance rather than assuming.
Printed registration receipt or exam label if required
Some calls ask you to bring the proof of registration or the labels issued for the exam. Confirm with the provider whether paper copies are needed and how many.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write the exam in blue or black ink unless the provider states otherwise. Bring spares; pencil is normally for rough work only.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for planning translations and marking up the Latin text before writing the final answer in pen.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Mobile phones are usually not allowed as timekeepers. A simple analogue watch helps you manage the time budget for the translation and the analysis sections.
Clear water bottle
Only if the venue permits it; bottles with labels may be refused. Confirm the venue's rule on drinks and food.
No smart devices or notes at your desk
Leave phones, smartwatches, and study notes outside the exam room or in the place the invigilators indicate. Confirm the provider's rule on storage of personal belongings.
Texts and dictionary rules confirmed
The PAU Latin paper normally provides the Latin passage; whether any dictionary or lexicon is allowed, and in what form, must be confirmed with the provider, as the rules can change between calls.
Review the exam structure and mark allocation
Check the current official model and marking criteria for your call: the sections, the number of questions, and how the marks are split between translation and the questions on the text, morphology, syntax, and culture.
Plan your travel and a backup
Check public transport timetables for the exam morning and identify an alternative route. Arrive with a margin; late entry is normally at the invigilators' discretion.
Sleep, hydration, and a light meal
The paper is long and reading-heavy. A normal night's sleep and a light breakfast help more than last-minute cramming.
Plan the day
Work through the official model papers for your call under timed conditions. For each one, translate the passage in the time you will actually have, then answer the analysis questions. Mark your own work against the published criteria and list the recurring errors: case endings, verb forms, agreement, and vocabulary gaps.
Consolidate the core grammar that the questions usually target: the five declensions, the pronoun and adjective paradigms, the indicative and subjunctive systems, infinitives and participles, and the main subordinate clause types (cum, ut, quod, relative, and indirect statement with the accusative and infinitive). Write a one-page summary in your own hand.
Revise the cultural and literary content the syllabus requires: authors, genres, and set works, plus the historical and mythological background. Use short retrieval quizzes rather than re-reading notes.
Practise the mechanics: write out a full translation by hand at exam speed, and rehearse the order in which you will answer sections so you do not run out of time on the highest-mark part.
Re-confirm the venue, room, and start time with the provider, and check your travel plan. Prepare your ID, pens, pencil, eraser, watch, and any permitted materials in one bag.
Do a light review only: your one-page grammar summary, a short vocabulary list of frequent words, and the main authors and works. Stop studying early enough to sleep normally.
Eat a light breakfast, check that your ID and pens are in your bag, and leave with a margin. Do not study new material on the way; if you review anything, reread your grammar summary.
On arrival, find the room and the seating list, switch off your phone, and store belongings where the invigilators indicate. Follow their instructions on ID checks and on filling in the answer booklet.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the mark allocation per section and the time you will give each. Read the Latin passage once for sense before translating.
Translate sentence by sentence, checking the case and function of each noun and the tense, mood, and voice of each verb. Leave a gap rather than inventing a meaning for an unknown word; return to it using context and word formation.
Answer the questions on morphology, syntax, and content precisely, using the technical terminology the syllabus expects. Quote the Latin form when asked to identify or justify an answer.
Check that every question has an answer, that your identification details are complete, and that your translation reads as coherent prose. Fix legibility problems; unclear handwriting can lose marks.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID and place it on the desk if asked. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and what happens if you arrive without them.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on phones, smartwatches, and personal belongings. Devices must normally be switched off and out of reach; confirm the provider's exact rule.
Write in the language and ink the paper specifies, and answer in the answer booklet or sheets provided. Do not write on the question paper unless told you may.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam. Raise your hand for an invigilator if you need to leave the room; confirm the provider's rules on toilet breaks and whether you will be accompanied.
Use only materials the provider permits. Whether a dictionary or lexicon is allowed in the Latin paper, and in what form, must be confirmed with the provider for your call.
Marks are awarded according to the published criteria for the call, which set out the weighting of the translation and the analysis questions. Read the current criteria so you know where the marks are.
Academic integrity rules apply: any attempt to use unauthorised material or to copy another candidate's work is handled under the provider's disciplinary procedure.
If something goes wrong (illness, a problem at the venue, or a suspected error in the paper), tell the invigilators immediately and confirm the provider's procedure for reporting it afterwards.